“Card Based” Design Still Rules

Most marketers are familiar with card style design. While this trend isn’t new, it’s likely one that’s here to stay. It’s become so widespread that Google has even implemented it into its material design.

Why do you ask?

Well, cards are an effective way to display a lot of information on smaller screens. They also provide users with a consistent viewing experience across all screens whether it be smartphone, tablet, or desktop. This is a style of design has become popular with sites such a Twitter, Facebook, and The Verge.

To pick on Medium again, it is a great example of cards being used in a design.

The layout lets users quickly scan a handful of different topics which makes it easier for them get to the content they’re looking for.

If you’re browsing on mobile, this is also much easier to click.

“Above the Fold” as a Thing of the Past

We’ve been saying this for a while now, but with more companies opting for more whitespace, the “fold” is becoming a thing of the past.

The mindset behind “above the fold” is that we need to squeeze everything we possibly can in the real estate a visitor first sees because users won’t scroll.

But this isn’t true — at least, not anymore.

This is an outdated idea that’s been carried over from the early days of web design when users weren’t accustomed to scrolling.

The average user has evolved and scrolling has now become second nature.

Users are actually so used to scrolling that in 2011 Apple removed the scrollbar from Mac OS X (as a default setting) because users no longer needed the visual cue for it.

If people aren’t scrolling, chances are it’s because there’s not enough motivation to continue down a page, not because they don’t know how to.

Instead of focusing on whether or not a CTA or logos of companies you’ve worked with is in the first 600 pixels, focus on whether or not what you put first on a page is engaging enough to get people to continue.

Alternatives to the Hamburger Menus

Believe it or not, many companies are beginning to move away from the use of hamburger menus due to their effects on UX — mainly lowering discoverability and efficiency.

Although hamburger menus are currently a popular trend, it’s likely we will begin seeing people experimenting with alternatives in order to increase navigation menu clicks.